Configuring the sample dashboards

After the deployment archive files for the dashboards are imported into IBM® Cognos® Analytics, more configuration is needed before the dashboards can be accessed.

Use IBM Cognos Administration to define the Cognos data sources and data sets that are needed for the Common Services sample dashboards.

Create a Cognos data source for the PFS_Dashboards.zip archive file

The dashboards in this archive file either display the data for the current business day or for the past 24 hours, and are typically connected to the FTM database (FTMDB). However, if a reporting and analytics database is available, these dashboards can be connected to the reporting and analytics database instead of the FTM database. When the reporting and analytics database is used for the dashboards, the data for the dashboards is delayed by at least the database replication interval as well as some other factors.

All of the dashboards in the PFS_Dashboards.zip deployment archive file use a data source named pfs_dashboard_source. The parameters for this data source are shown in the following table.
Table 1. Common Services dashboards data source parameters
Parameter name Value or description
Name pfs_dashboard_source
Data Source Type Set the data source type to DQM by selecting the Configure JDBC Connection check box.
Isolation Level Select the isolation level for the data source.
Database Typically, this data source is connected to the FTM database (FTMDB).
Db2 connect string jdbc:db2://localhost:50000/FTMDB
Db2 Connection Parameters Specify any database connection parameters. Test the connection to verify that the configuration works.
Db2 JDBC Connection Parameters Specify any JDBC database connection parameters. Test the connection to verify that the configuration works.
Open Session Commands 
<commandBlock>
  <commands>
    <sqlCommand>
      <sql>SET SCHEMA FTMPUB</sql>
    </sqlCommand>
    <sqlCommand>
      <sql>SET PATH = FTMPUB,FTM</sql>
    </sqlCommand>
  </commands>
</commandBlock>

Create a Cognos data source for the PFS_Trending_Dashboards.zip archive file

The dashboards in this archive file display the data for long-term trends and are typically connected to the reporting and analytics database. However, if a reporting and analytics database is not available, these dashboards can be connected to the FTM database instead of the reporting and analytics database.

When the FTM database is used to provide the data for the trending dashboards, the data that is available for the dashboard is limited to the amount of data that is available in the FTM database. For example, if the FTM database holds only data for the last 100 days, the dashboards can display only the trends for the last 100 days.

All of the dashboards in the PFS_Trending_Dashboards.zip deployment archive file use a data source named pfs_trending_dashboard_source. The parameters for this data source are shown in the following table.
Table 2. Common Services trending dashboards data source parameters
Parameter name Value or description
Name pfs_trending_dashboard_source
Data Source Type Set the data source type to DQM by selecting the Configure JDBC Connection check box.
Isolation Level Select the isolation level for the data source.
Database Typically, this data source is connected to the reporting and analytics database.
Db2 connect string jdbc:db2://localhost:50000/name of the reporting and analytics database
Db2 Connection Parameters Specify any database connection parameters. Test the connection to verify that the configuration works.
Db2 JDBC Connection Parameters Specify any JDBC database connection parameters. Test the connection to verify that the configuration works.
Open Session Commands 
<commandBlock>
  <commands>
    <sqlCommand>
      <sql>SET SCHEMA FTMPUB</sql>
    </sqlCommand>
    <sqlCommand>
      <sql>SET PATH = FTMPUB,FTM</sql>
    </sqlCommand>
  </commands>
</commandBlock>

Define a schedule for refreshing the data in the data sets

The Common Services dashboards use Cognos Analytics data sets that must be loaded with data from a database. Loading data into a data set can be done either manually or on a scheduled basis. Consider reloading the data sets for the system management dashboard every 15 minutes because it requires data for the current business day and uses the FTM database. Data sets for trending dashboards likely need to be refreshed only once a day. Choose a schedule that meets your business needs.

Ensure that a refresh schedule is defined for all data sets that are used by the Common Services dashboards. Use IBM Cognos Administration to add a scheduled data refresh to the properties of the data set.